Briar Goldberg, TED’s Director of Speaker Coaching, has been preparing people to share their ideas for TED’s in-person and — since 2020 — virtual stages. Here, she identifies some common missteps and how to correct them.

The next time you’re preparing to speak to a group, remember to keep your audience at the center of your communication, says Briar Goldberg, the director of speaking coaching at TED. One way to do this is to ask yourself: “What gift are you giving to your audience?”